College Basketball: KSU loses 2 game to Benedict

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Benedict College tied Saturday’s game on a 3-pointer by Andrew Crawford with 26 seconds left and went on to beat Kentucky State 78-73 in men’s basketball action.

The game was the second of a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader. In the opener, Benedict’s women’s team defeated KSU 62-50.

Kentucky State continues its road trip with a doubleheader at Paine College Monday.

Men’s game

When Darquell Pulliam connected on a jumper with 45 seconds left in regulation, Kentucky State took a three-point lead at 66-63.

Crawford’s 3-pointer 19 seconds later tied the game, and Benedict’s Jose Roman-Angueira blocked a shot by Ulysses Thomas III at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

Roman-Angueira hit two free throws for the first points in overtime, and the Tigers led the rest of the way.

KSU, 2-8 overall and 1-4 in the SIAC, never trailed in the first half and led 30-26 at halftime.

The largest lead for both teams was seven points. KSU held that advantage early in the second half, and Benedict (10-3, 5-0) led by seven in overtime.

Crawford, who went 7 for 10 on 3-pointers, finished with a game-high 24 points, one of four Tigers in double figures. The others were Lamar Adkins and Brennan Reynard with 13 points each, and Justin Peeples with 10.

Brandon Darrett led KSU with 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Pulliam finished with 11 points.

Also scoring for the Thorobreds were Antonio Sullivan with nine points, Darrien Wilkins and Thomas with eight points each, Tryston Ford with five, Quentin Henderson and Troy Adams with four points each, and Markus Montague and Johntae Alexander with two points each.

Wilkins had 12 rebounds, and Henderson had four assists.

Women’s game

The Benedict College Lady Tigers used a strong second half to defeat Kentucky.

The Lady Tigers remained undefeated in conference play, improving to 11-4 overall and 5-0 in the SIAC.

Benedict trailed 21-20 at the half and Kentucky State’s Brieona Warner opened the second half with a layup to give the Thorobrettes a 23-20 lead. The Lady Tigers scored nine straight points to take the lead for good.

Kentucky State cut the lead to 31-27 on a pair of free throws by LaShell West with 12:11 left to play, but Benedict then scored the next 11 points to push the lead to 42-27. Grooms had a three-point play, Amanda Toliver hit a layup and a 3-pointer. Jasmine Stubbs capped off the run with a 3-pointer.

Benedict maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way, building a 17-point advantage, 54-37, on a layup by Latoya Fairley with 3:26 left to play.

After shooting just 21.7 percent in the first half, the Lady Tigers shot 52 percent in the second half, while holding the Thorobrettes to 33 percent shooting in the second half.

Warner led Kentucky State, now 4-9 overall and 0-5 in the SIAC, with 17 points.

Rounding out the scoring for KSU were West with 11 points, Taylor Sanders with eight, Nandi Taylor with six, Teeuntra Moore with four, and Shayla Moore and Crystal Allen with two points each.